Process of making playing-balls.



. PATEN'TED; MAY 5, 1903.. I E- YKEMPSHALL. v

PROCESS OF MAKING PLAYING BALLS;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1902.

1m MODEL.

I nvent01;

Byhis Attorney Witnessgs: gi 2 Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF MAKING PLAYING-BALLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,542, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed June 28, 1902. Serial N0.1l13 .552. (N0 model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Playing- Balls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of playing-balls; and its object is to produce at low cost a ball having exceptional flying qualities.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, of a ball made in accordance with my improvements. Fig. 2 illustrates one stage in the process of manufacture; and Fig. 3 illustrates a rubber segmen t, whereof two are used in making a sphere which forms part of the ball.

In the several views similar parts are designated by similar characters of reference.

For the core of the ball I use a hard sphere 1, preferably gutta-percha, and upon this core I wrap a pair of solid soft-rubber segments 2 and 3, each extending nearly around the core and one matching the other, but the proportions being such that a crevice A is left between them, as at Fig. 2. I hold the segments upon the core 1 by means of cement or otherwise, and upon the ball thus formed I apply segments l and 5, of celluloid or guttapercha, preferably the latter, said segments being forced together by dies 7 and 8, thereby subjecting the rubber to such compression that it is thinned or reduced in diameter, as at B, Fig. l, the surplus rubber squeezing out at the edges and nearly closing the crevice between the segments, as at 0, Fig. 1.

Heat is applied to soften the plastic shell,'

and the pressure is maintained until the shell D cools and hardens, so that the rubber envelop B is held by said shell in an abnormally thin and distorted condition upon the core 1, as at Fig. 1, some portions thereof being distended and the whole being held under a high degree of compression by the shell D. Since the crevice Ois not quite closed, a further movement of therubber is permitted when the ball is given a hard blow, so that the danger of the shell bursting is minimized. A lining of fabric 9 may be provided upon the hemispherical shell-segments 4c and 5.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A process in producing a playing-ball,

consisting in securing undersized segments of soft rubber upon a hard core, then placing a shell or shell material upon said segments, then subjecting the whole to compression to an extent to decrease the thickness or diameterand increase the width or area of said segmentsfand causing the shell to hold said segments permanently in their altered shapes.

2. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in cementing solid segment of soft rubber upon a hard core, the segments being of such size and shape that crevices are left between them, inclosing said segments in softened shell material, subjecting the whole to compression to an extent to at least partially close said crevices and reduce the diameter or thickness of the rubber segments,

and maintaining the compression while the shell material hardens.

3. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in applying to a hard core two solid segments of soft rubber, each of such segments extending nearly around the core, and said segments matching each other and being of suclrsize that a crevice is left between them, surrounding said segments by heated plastic material, subjecting the'whole to co mpression to an extent to press out or thin said segments and diminish said crevice, and maintaining the compression until the shell cools.

4. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in forming a soft-rubber sphere of a series of segments separated by a crevice or crevices, compressing a shell of softened plastic material upon said rubber sphere to an extent to reduce the diameter of said sphere, and maintaining the compression while the plastic material hardens.

5. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in applying segments of soft rubber to a hard core so that a crevice isleftbetween adjoining segments, inclosin'g the ball thus formed in hemispherical segments of hard plastic material, bringing .said; hemispherical segments together forcibly to an extent to thin said segments or reduce their diameter and at least partially close up the crevices between them, subjecting said plastic material to heat sufficient to cause them to weld at their edges, and maintaining the compression while the shell hardens.

6. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in inclosing separated spherical segments of soft rubber in a shell of guttapercha, subjecting the whole to compression to an extent to reduce the diameter of the segments and at least partially close the crevices between them, softening the gutta-percha, and maintaining the compression While the gutta-percha hardens.

7. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in applying segments of soft rubber to a hard core so that a crevice is left be- Witnesses:

B. G. STIGKNEY, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

